This past weekend, students grabbed their skis and neon to celebrate the anxious return of Titus weekend. Titus is historically one of the biggest events for the St. Lawrence University student body. The time-honored tradition embodies the adventurous spirit of SLU and the unique experience of living in a small town that endures a (usually) long and blustery winter season.
For weeks, student awaited the return of a Titus that SLU had not experienced since pre-COVID-19 times. The Titus gathering began in the ’80s and has steadily become one of the most coveted events of the year. From shredding snow on the mountain to enjoying a freshly grilled hot dog on the quad, the weekend provided a plethora of opportunities to celebrate.
The two-day celebration started Friday at approximately 4 p.m. with Rail Jam. In what would usually be a scene of brightly colored outfits and gallon containers contrasted against a white backdrop of snow, was a sunny, grassy Kirk Quad. A warm spell of balmy weather had ridden almost all the snow in Canton, leaving only dainty amounts condensed in parking lots. Soon enough, a shipment of snow from mounds around town had triumphantly made its way to the Kirk Quad, and a snow jump was constructed in beautiful glory. In true SLU fashion, rail jam prevailed, and onlookers watched as skiers performed tricks, jumps and runs down the newly constructed mound.
As the sun dwindled over the Canton skyline, students took their last jumps and flicks of the day and dozed off to bed in anticipation of the next day’s events. The day started early on Saturday as buses filled with neon outfits and glittered faces departed the St. Lawrence parking lots around 9 a.m. Only about an hour later, students arrived at the upper mountain of Titus in the vibrant town of Malone, New York. Fueled by exhibitionism and liquid courage, students took to the mountain to ski, take pics, and powwow on the chairlifts. Around noon, the ensembles of Marcy Band, Sprawl and DJ Lucki Luc graced students with their musical ballads. As fatigue set in from countless runs of the mountain and social integration like no other, students funneled onto the buses and made their way back west to SLU.
In the waning moments of dusk, students commemorated a bonafide end to The Final First Ever 12th Annual Evolutionary Great Mt. Titus Gnarly North Country Global Cool Down Wicked Weekend Ski Event. This year, 2024, marks a special occasion in what was the revitalization of the true Titus experience. Rumored to be better than Christmas–Titus will linger in the hearts and souls of students who remember (or don’t) the electrifying spirit of adventure and community.
The weekend was a testament of the vigorous and vibrant nature of the Laurentian spirit only made possible by the dogged efforts by the OC to put on this event. Henry Baker ’25, a member of the OC, spoke to the revival of the Titus tradition: “Our house worked super hard and pulled some strings to bring back the tradition for students to have a fun weekend…It overall went really smoothly and we were thrilled to bring back our long-lasting winter tradition. Excited to work next year to bring back even more ppl to the mountain!” A new week has washed over campus, bringing a wave of scaries and memories for students to reminisce on forever. Students will have to wait another year for the triumphant return of this highly anticipated event, until then, “Happy Titus!”